PAUL SMITH: 'It was so close, as we expected, but that seems to be the only way in which we seem to know how to win. We were carrying a lot of niggles and Calvin had his leg strapped up to his neck!

'We knew it wasn't going to be pretty but we matched them basket for basket. I'm delighted to have won something in my first season as I didn't want the club to use the new-coach factor as an excuse not to win things. But it's down to the players, I try to keep it simple and let them express themselves.'

JOHN MCCORD: 'It's a great accomplishment for the whole club. The BBL Trophy was Jets' first piece of silverware, so it's personal. This is what we play for.'

CALVIN DAVIS: 'I'm glad the BBL Trophy is back in Chester where it belongs. My sprain was really painful but the physios take great care of us. I wanted to play for the fans and did not want to let them down as they never turn their backs on us.'

JAMES HAMILTON: 'We've got a certain confidence in these games that we'll end with a win. We could have folded when Brighton went seven points up, but we fought back. They danced on us but now they're crying.'

RYAN HUNTLEY: 'As the game went into the final stretch, I was thinking that I needed to make a play to win it and, fortunately, I was able to come up with a steal and we scored.'

MIKE NURSE: 'It was nip and tuck throughout, but we gutted it out. When people talk about Jets, they mention athleticism and great plays. Now they're going to talk about character.'

BILLY SINGLETON: 'It's come full circle for me as I left Jets in 1997, soon after we lost the BBL Trophy final. I've now returned and completed my set of medals having won the Championship and Cup elsewhere.'